Campus News Fall 2019 Issue 7

Volume 77, Issue 7 | www.elaccampusnews.com | Wednesday, October 23, 2019 | Single copy free - additional copies 50 cents

E7 undergoes repairs, displaces students Classes resume in basement, first, second floors in technology building

BY IVAN CAZARES Staff Writer The E7 building partially reopened on Monday for classes in the basement, the first and second floors after the building flooded on Oct. 14.

The remaining 115 classes will continue to meet in temporary locations for the remainder of the week.

A list of where classes have been relocated to can be found posted in the entrance of E7.

The Adelante First-Year Experience Program might regain access to its office on the second floor today, Ruben Arenas, vice president of liberal arts and sciences, said.

However, as of now, most classes won’t regain access to the building until Monday at the earliest.

It’s the second time the building has flooded because of the failure of a link between sections of pipe.

The flood on Oct.14 originated on the fourth floor because of a corroded bolt on one of the hinges that hold sections of pipe together.

The first flood occurred in April 2012 in the E7 basement.

No details on what caused the failure were officially released, but Al Mah, former Plant Facilities general foreman, told Campus News in 2012 that sections of pipe had been improperly installed when the building was constructed.

Plant Facilities was able to contain the flood before major

“Abel Rodriguez and myself had an initial walk through with the insurance adjuster on Thursday, October 22.”

MYESHIA ARMSTRONG

Vice president of administrative services

CN/IVAN CAZARES

DO NOT ENTER—The east side of E7 on the fourth and third floor remains off limits to staff and students as clean-up and maintanence crews work to repare water damage. The building flooded when a bolt on one of the hinges that held sections of pipe together failed. damage to the building could occur on both occasions.

The Photography Department reported $1,000 worth of printing supplies damaged in 2012, but no damage to the equipment of classes has been reported as a result of the 2019 flood.

“I don’t know how it happened.

I’ve never seen anything like this,” Abel Rodriguez, Director of Plant Facilities, said. “In hindsight I wish

they had given us stainless steel (bolts) rather than these plated ones.”

Rodriguez said the incident in 2012 affected a different system and that the two floods are unrelated.

The bolts used in E7 are plated galvanized steel, which is more prone to rust and corrosion than stainless steel.

However, the bolt should have been protected from water by a

gasket on the hinge that failed.

Rodriguez said one of the bolts on hinges that hold sections of pipe together became abnormally corroded, which allowed water to leak through.

Had the situation not been discovered when it was, there could have been upward of 400 gallons of pressurized water purged into the building.

The majority of large buildings

on campus are air conditioned using a central plant that pumps cold and hot water through large pipes rather than individual AC units.

The pipe system has a long lifespan, according to Rodriguez, but he pointed out that plant facilities has replaced other components in earlier stages of corrosion.

ELAC hasn’t received a final

Fans swarm LA Comic Con Kinesiology Department files grievance

BY VICKY NGYUEN

BY JUAN CALVILLO Staff Writer Increasing in size with each passing year, the Los Angeles Comic Con offered entertainment fans more ways than ever to access all things pop culture. Fans and die hard followers were treated to television reunions, advanced information on upcoming films, and of course the chance to meet and interact with the artists and writers of their favorite comic books and novels.

Stan Lee died late last year on Nov. 12, weeks after the 2018 Conic Con had occurred. The convention was once named after him, “Stan Lee’s Comikaze” was originally it’s namesake.

On Saturday Oct. 12 of the convention Rob Liefeld, creator of Deadpool, had a chance to remember Lee on the main stage.

The event was a somber moment during the weekend.

At previous Comic Con’s, there have been stars from various outlets, but this year, a majority of the cast from “The Office” TV show managed to be brought

together. Chris DeMoulin the Chief Executive Officer of Comikaze Entertainment, the company that puts the convention on year after year, said, “We started working on it months ago, and as each cast member said ‘yes,’ it made it a little easier to get the next one.

Their agents were a big help as well.”

That wasn’t the only reunion at the convention this year. Ron Pearlman and Doug Jones from the “Hellboy” movies directed

by Guillermo Del Torowere also together for photo opportunities and a brief meet and greet. If there were any fans of Spongebob Squarepants or the Kim Possible animated shows cast members were on the main stage Saturday as well.

DeMoulin explained the diverse reunions, “We have an incredibly loyal local fanbase of over 200,000 people, and we talk with them all year long on social media. What they love, what they want to see, new and old.”

COMIC CON Continued on page 6

Staff Writer The Kinesiology Department has filed a work environment grievance for lack of air conditioning in several rooms within department buildings.

The grievance was filed in August after repeated failures to rectify the problem over the course of eight years. The grievance was for lack of air conditioning in fitness rooms as well as faculty offices. Faculty have since been moved to bungalows, but the lack of air conditioning in the classrooms are still pending.

The Kinesiology Department rooms are riddled with falling ceiling tiles, including tiles falling from high ceilings in the North gym E9 103. Faculty have also taken notice of dead cockroaches and dripping showers.

“We have been pleading for A/C for many years. For ceilings, we have numerous work orders.

They’re just overlooked. Things are not taken care of,” Kinesiology Chair Erika Blanco said. “We have had numerous presidents. When there’s a change, it’s almost like you have to start the process all over. You have to meet with them and express what’s been going on,

and then of course, give them an opportunity (to respond). You’re back to square one every three or four years.”

While a new building for the department is expected to be built in eight years, Blanco said it does not excuse the need for immediate relief. The new building being promised has not yet been approved.

The lack of air conditioning in rooms has taken a toll on students to points of danger. Blanco said a student was found passed out one night after a Zumba class and had to be taken by paramedics.

“Students pass out. Students throw up. They’ll have to walk out and throw up because it’s too hot.

You have almost 40, 45 students in your classes and it heats up and they’re doing high intensity exercise in the spinning room.

It’s not safe,” professor Lindsay Costello said.

Over the years, faculty have dealt with heat by canceling classes and reducing activity in classes.

“It does affect the integrity of the curriculum,” Blanco said.

“You’re limited to what you can do with your students in a physical activity class, because if it’s too hot, you don’t want a student to get heat exhaustion. The students aren’t getting the most out of their

physical activity class,” Professor Lorraine Jones said.

Jannet Lastimoso is taking Zumba classes in the spin room that does not have proper air conditioning. She said that the heat is bad enough to reconsider taking more classes.

“Several times, I felt way dizzy, and almost collapsed,” Lastimoso said.

Another Zumba student, Ana Oregel, said the lack of air conditioning made her feel that fitness programs were being neglected in comparison to other disciplines.

“The buildings being too old are not an excuse, “Oregel said. “When the chemistry buildings were too old, they built a new one. We can’t even get A/C? That’s pretty messed up.”

Blanco said that she and other faculty members are hesitant to speak out about the problems, but she felt that the issues have come to a breaking point.

“At what point is enough, enough? I don’t think we’re asking for much,” Blanco said. “We’re just really trying to seek support for our students in the now. Our kids deserve better.”

Administration could not be reached for comment.

ELAC Campus News wins at regional conference

quote from its insurance company for the damage caused by the flood.

However, Rodriguez said the school’s $250,000 deductible will most likely cover all the damages.

“Abel Rodriguez and myself had an initial walk through with the insurance adjuster on Thursday, . He commented that, from his inspection, our facilities team did an excellent job by taking quick action. He believes the damages would have been far worse if our team wasn't quick thinking,” Myeshia Armstrong, vice president of administrative services said via email.

“The bolt has been replaced in the affected area surrounding the pipe.

As a precautionary measure, the entire pipeline was assessed by the vendor to ensure that other bolts were reviewed and/or replaced to avoid this situation in the future.”

Bram Stoker’s Dracula

Page 5

News Briefs Movie Night

“The Nightmare Before Christmas” will be shown by the Theater Arts Department on Oct. 30 at 7 p.m. in the quad between P2 and S2 .

Journalism Department brings home 14 awards

BY MARIA MARROQUIN MONROY Staff Writer

CN/IVAN CAZARES

I’LL BE BACK—Kory Childress shows off his T-800 Ter-

minator during the 2019 Los Angeles Comic Con cosplay contest.

East Los Angeles College Campus News brought home 14 awards from the Journalism Association of Community Colleges SoCal Conference held Saturday at California State University, Fullerton.

Of the 14 awards Campus News staff received, the biggest were in the General Excellence category for the Print Edition and Online edition of the newspaper.

The conference was filled with journalist professionals and students interested in following a journalistic path.

Attendees had multiple

workshops to choose from during the day, each with a variety of topics from internships to learning more about journalism as a whole.

The 21 colleges that competed had students enter contests based on areas of interest in journalism.

Photojournalist and keynote speaker Stuart Palley, opened with a presentation about his journey covering wildfires. He spoke about the importance of journalists who cover climate change, the importance of self care and how he deals with the things he sees on the field.

In the division of Graphics/ Design, Steven Adamo, former Editor in Chief of Campus News, took 1st place for the Front Page Layout category.

“The first time I competed, I

didn’t make it past the first round.

The other time or two I didn’t even place, so it feels great to win,” Adamo said. “It’s what I’ve struggled with during my time at Campus News and now I feel that I’ve finally improved,” Adamo said.

He also took 3rd place in the Editorial Cartoon category and Ivana Amaral, staff writer, received an honorable mention in this category as well.

This year was Amaral’s second time at JACC and she said while she wasn’t expecting to win she knew she had done well in the competition.

JACC Continued on page 3

Scholarship Workshop

The Transfer Center will hold a scholarship workshop on Oct. 30 at D7 from 12:30 p.m. to 2 p.m.

Graduate School Workshop

The Puente Club will have a workshop on the pathways for furthering education on Saturday from 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

2

OPINION

EAST LOS ANGELES COLLEGE CAMPUS NEWS WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 23, 2019

Mental health diagnosis requires a leap of faith

BY ALEJANDRO AMBRIZ Mental health is one of the most prevalent topics in recent years and pop culture has played a crucial role in the public discourse.

Through depictions such as Thor ’s Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder in “Avengers: Endgame” and the suicide of Linkin Park singer Chester Bennington, people are becoming aware of some signs that people with mental health disorders exhibit.

The Mental Health In Pop Culture Media and Cosplay panel at Comic Con hosted an important conversation on Oct. 13 about mental health and people who are afflicted.

There were accredited and certified mental health professionals and pop-culture contributors who talked about a range of issues including depression, anxiety and how pop culture illustrates mental health.

The panel was refreshing, as it brought a positive and friendly discussion on mental health and the issues that prevent people from seeking help or treatment.

They shared personal stories about some of their own inner turmoil to show that there are always ways to manage issues and find inspiration within pop culture and the nerd community.

Even though it’s becoming more

CN/IVAN CAZARES

Staff Writer

WHY SO SERIOUS?—Jay and Sara Crawfored dressed as the Joker and Harley Quinn at the eighth annual Long Beach Comic Con in 2016. common to talk about mental health, people are reluctant to express their issues for fear of being called crazy or having to deal with the stigma of being diagnosed.

One of the panelists, Cristobal Hernandez, attested to this by talking about a scene in “Spiderman: Into the Spiderverse,” where Peter Parker advises Miles Morales to take a leap of faith.

“That really resonated with me because that’s a lot of what I have had to do in all of my life, especially getting properly diagnosed for mental health... It was really scary having this label on me,” Hernandez said.

At one point, he, like others, have

felt that they should avoid being properly diagnosed or talk about their psychiatric disorders because they exhibit symptoms that are typically considered ‘bad.’

Feelings such as sadness, irritability and even emotions people don’t understand can be better understood by seeking treatment whenever ready.

“I took the leap of faith, I got diagnosed. It was a good decision, it really helped me sort of get myself together and I’m still not at 100 precent... I can tell I’m in a better place,” Hernandez said. Talking about those feelings is the first step.

When people have anxiety or depression they don’t always feel

anxious or depressed. Audrey, a cosplayer and one of the panelists, was officially diagnosed with anxiety in high school and went to therapy for some time after.

“It comes and goes to you in waves and it affects everyone differently,” Audrey said.

Some people could be with a group of friends or attend a panel at Comic Con and feel depressed the whole time.

“That one I feel is a lot harder to explain because people will be like, ‘You’re not crying, you’re here, you’re out and about’ and it’s like, ‘Yes I’m magically cured, thank you,’” Audrey said.

It’s not that simple. For Audrey,

she found her escape through the cosplay world.

“For my first year at Comic Con, I dressed up as Emma Stone in ‘Easy A.’ I didn’t really resonate with her, just that she was going through high school and dealing with bullies for no real good reason,” she said.

Many people don’t understand a person can be in a constant state of anxiety or feel sad despite participating in conversation.

They should seek to educate themselves about mental health disorders and conditions. Being unable to understand it contributes to the negative attention mental health receives.

In an interview with Attitude Magazine, Psychiatry professor at Yael University Larry Davidson said, “We receive no education about mental illness in school, and the media continues to portray extreme stereotypes.”

He also added that only one in three people with a diagnosable mental illness will seek treatment.

Mental health shouldn’t be treated as less serious of an issue just because the symptoms aren’t always expressed physically.

Instead of saying ‘you’re depressed because of A, B, and C’ or ‘you’re doing it to yourself just stop thinking bad things’, seek to understand and listen. There are always ways to express yourself and find peace, whether it be cosplay or therapy.

Etiquette displays sign of respect

BY JUAN CALVILLO Staff Writer Changes to culture, technology, and society at large have caused the decline of etiquette and it needs to make a comeback.

Etiquette is “the customary code of polite behavior in society or among members of a particular profession or group,” according to Oxford.

There are some who would argue that etiquette has simply changed with the times. There is some truth to that assumption, but it’s the often overlooked details that can lead to problems.

Etiquette is often seen as highbrow and gets a bad reputation for being stiff and boring. As time passed, people have kept up with proper etiquette less and less.

Nancy Hoogenboom, a member of the Society of Certified Etiquette Trainers and CEO of Daily Etiquette, said, “I believe etiquette has declined because people associate etiquette as “old fashion(ed)” rules of how to eat, dress properly and behave.

“Our culture has become more casual with “on the go” meals and a much busier lifestyles. Treating

others kindly with respect will never go out of style, these qualities will help you thrive in life and feel confident.”

An example Hoogenboom gave was people in the United States tend to introduce themselves and give a simple handshake, while in other countries it may include a kiss on the cheek. Nowadays, however, even that is often forgotten.

Hoogenboom said busier lifestyles and the fast pace of daily interactions has affected today’s generation.

A blog from The British School of Etiquette says, “We all want to be acknowledged, respected, and accepted by others. Etiquette and good manners are essential to ensure you leave an impression that is memorable for all the right reasons.”

When was the last time any student has met a new classmate and received a more traditional introduction, which included a full name? When people meet someone new, most of the time they only give their first name, no last name at all.

Everyone is born with both a first and last name; it’s the very essence of a name. Unless someone decides to go by one name, like Bono, Madonna, or the like, it is

customary to introduce oneself with a whole name.

During a lecture, some students pull out their phones to check texts or notifications from Instagram.

During a class lecture is not the right time to check one’s phone.

Etiquette is meant as a sign of respect to others. Not observing even basic etiquette is asking to be remembered in a negative light. But as with everything, etiquette can be learned.

Hoogenboom said there are few things people can do to make an effort to try to have etiquette.

“Look people in the eye, smile and actually listen when others are talking. Pick up after yourself always, at home, school, work and social and business situations. Be wise (with) what you post, words and photos online, this is a reflection of you. Treat others as you want to be treated, the Golden Rule is awesome,” Hoogenboom said.

Giving a little effort can make the biggest difference. Look at etiquette as a way of showing respect not only to others but also oneself. Etiquette is also a reflection of how people see themselves. Self-respect starts with these little things.

BY ADAM ROBLES Staff Writer When films are successful and have told a complete story, filmmakers usually decide to follow up with a sequel. Prequels, however, are almost never a good route to take when there are not enough ideas to explore.

The idea of prequels usually seem easy, but they often go in the wrong direction. Depending on how the story is left after the first film of the franchise, it is set up to continue for another film or two.

When a film series is done, there are times when either the creator wants to go back and revisit certain characters or the production company wants more content for the purpose of making money.

One of the notable franchises to do this is “Star Wars.” The film was first released on May 25, 1977 with one objective in mind — to tell a three-episode story throughout three films.

This process concluded six years later in 1983 with the third film “Star Wars: Return of the Jedi.” These

films were blockbuster films that had a cultural impact and changed the film industry forever.

Toys and clothing merchandise for these films are still sold at local retail stores. Many other films have parodied these films because moments in them are so iconic.

An example would be in “Toy Story 2,” on the elevator scene where the evil Zurg reveals in a dramatic fashion that he is Buzzlightyear’s father. This is a parody of the moment in “The Empire Strikes Back,” when Vader tells Luke that he is his father.

The original “Star Wars” films were so successful that fans were left begging for more content. Its success caused filmmakers to string out another trilogy 16 years later in 1999. This trilogy was set to be a prequel of the beloved original three films.

The prequels were definitely successful, but lacked the “Star Wars” original vision. This is often the case when film prequels are produced for the sake of more content.

The reason why film prequels don’t usually hit the same mark

www.ELACCampusNews.com

as the original films is because prequels often lack originality.

The “Star Wars” prequels revealed Darth Vader ‘s storyline and the fall of the Jedi.

It told how Vader went from being a typical little kid to being a Jedi, and then becoming the evil villain he is in the original films.

The story of Vader was the whole drive to create the prequels, but he wasn’t the only focus throughout the whole trilogy. The prequels also told the story of the Jedi. It got into their political corruptness, their laws and showed how most of them ended up dying off.

The “Star Wars” prequels has lots of boring and unlikeable characters, the perfect example of how a story should not be expanded.

The soundtrack isn’t as good as the originals, and many of the dialogue and special effects were more computer-generated rather than practical.

These films were made decades after the original films, but it looks worse because lots of the environments are fake or filmed in front of green screens.

MANAGING EDITOR Andrew Ayala ART DIRECTOR Steven Adamo ONLINE EDITOR Adam Robles FRONT EDITORS Luis Castilla Sonny Tapia

OPINION EDITOR Cher Antido NEWS EDITOR Juan Calvillo FEATURE EDITOR Maria Marroquin Monroy ARTS EDITOR Gustavo Buenrostro SPORTS EDITORS Michael Dominguez CARTOONIST Ivana Amaral COPY EDITORS Ivan Cazares Stephanie Guevara STAFF WRITERS Noe Ortega, Vicky Nguyen, Mariana Montoya, Melisa Valenzuela, Miguel Dominguez, Russell Navarette, Jonathan Bermudez, Johanna Rodriguez, Christopher De Leon, Julie Santiago, Simon Cabral, Alejandro Ambiz, Kelly Vasquez ADVERTISING Stefanie Arocha DISTRIBUTION Gustavo Buenrostro Julie Santiago

CN/IVANA AMARAL

Uber, Lyft shouldn’t be for full-time work

BY ADAM ROBLES Staff Writer

Prequels lack originality

EDITOR IN CHIEF Melody Ortiz

Rideshare drivers do not need a wage increase. Increasing their minimum wage may be a simple solution that helps them maintain a living wage, but there are flaws with this reasoning.

As of Oct. 15, a proposition to raise the minimum wage of rideshare drivers in Los Angeles to $30 per hour has been pitched by the LA City Council, with intentions to help drivers.

A study conducted last year by the Economic Policy Institution calculated the take-home profits of drivers for major cities in the U.S. It showed that the average L.A. driver makes $12 per hour after taxes.

The wage increase seems smart since the cost for rent, gas, car payments and insurance is very high in L.A. If room is left for manipulation, this wage increase for rideshare drivers could backfire on consumers and even on L.A. residents.

If this proposition is written for people driving in L.A. rather than drivers who reside in L.A., it could attract the attention of drivers from surrounding cities. That sweet bonus would be more than enough to get drivers from adjacent cities to drive in L.A. This would be bad because the morning traffic coming into the city will be worse, as well as the

horrendous traffic leaving the city in the afternoon.

The traffic is already bad enough so it wouldn’t be smart to allow the drivers to bend the rules so that they can earn a bigger paycheck.

Collected data from the Auto Insurance Center shows that the annual average commute time in L.A. is at 80 hours.

Some drivers are unable to pay for rent because they don’t earn a living wage from driving alone, but the approach to this situation needs to be reviewed more carefully.

It is definitely harder to find a normal job than driving for rideshare companies such as Uber and Lyft, but being a rideshare driver isn’t meant to be a full-time job.

These driving services seems to be more of a “earn extra money on the way to your destination” type of service rather than a full-time taxi service. This means that it wasn’t meant to be taken advantage of and made a full-time job.

So the argument of drivers becoming homeless while driving for the company may not be the company’s fault. If its services were never advertised to be made liveable on, then why should they have to pay more money?

There are other ways for the company to help its drivers. They could partner up with a gas company or insurance company and offer free or discounted gas for drivers who reach a certain amount of miles per week.

ADVISERS Jean Stapleton Sylvia Rico-Sanchez Campus News encourages letters to the editor relating to campus issues.

Letters must be typed and double spaced. Submitted material becomes the property of Campus News and cannot be returned. Letters should be limited to 300 words or less. Campus News reserves the right to edit letters for grammatical errors or libelous content.

Anonymous letters will not be printed. Writers must sign submissions and print their names and a phone number where they can be reached.

Letters should be addressed to the editor of Campus News. Submissions can be made at the mailroom in building E1 or the Journalism department office in the Technology Center in E7-303.

East Los Angeles College Campus News 1301 Avenida Cesar Chavez E7-303 Monterey Park, CA 91754 (323) 265-8819, Ads (323) 265-8821 Fax (323) 415-4910 The East Los Angeles College Campus News is published as a learning experience, offered under the East Los Angeles College Journalism program. The editorial and advertising materials are free from prior restraint by virtue of the First Amendment to the United States Constitution.

The opinions expressed are exclusively those of the writer.

Accordingly, materials published herein, including any opinions expressed, should not be interpreted as the position of the Los Angeles Community College District, East Los Angeles College, or any officer or employee thereof.

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News

EAST LOS ANGELES COLLEGE CAMPUS NEWS WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 23, 2019

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Prestige: Campus news distingishes itself among peers REGIONAL from front page

CN/MARYANNE SHULTS

AND THE WINNERS ARE...—East Los Angeles Campus News team won several awards at the fall 2019 Journalism Association of Community Colleges convention. The news staff won the General Excellence award for both the physical paper and online edition.

“I was somewhat surprised but, I also felt really good about my cartoon when I finished it because it came out so well and I did it within an hour,” she said.

In the News Story/Series category Vincent Austin, Steven Adamo and Vicky Nguyen received a meritorious mention.

Nguyen, staff writer, who has attended the conferences three times said, “This JACC was only for the SoCal region, so it was much smaller, but I also felt less pressure because of that. I just had fun and enjoyed my time.”

She said she was surprised with winning the award because she wasn’t aware she was being considered for this category however, she felt proud of herself.

In the Newspaper Writing division Jose Cazares, Miguel Barragan and Vincent Austin took fourth place for the writing feature category.

Noe Ortega received an honorable mention in the sports game story category.

Diego Linares won second place

in the sports feature photo category.

In the profile feature story category Luis Castilla took third Place.

The feature story was about Los Angeles based muralist Sand One and his inspiration for this story came to him because he sees her murals all around his house and he thought it’d be interesting to know what she had to say about them.

“I feel that when I write a feature it’s more personal because you’re getting to know a person on a deeper fundamental level and that’s why I like writing them,” Castilla said.

A student from Southwestern Community College, Kathleen Blankenship said this was her first time at JACC and as such it was exciting but also overwhelming at times because of all the schools in attendance.

Other workshops included “Who are you working for? Earning what your photojournalism is worth” by Davis Barber, “Why Journalism Sets you up for Successful Second Careers” by John Welsh, “Building a Content Strategy for your News Team - GIFs for Journalists” by Amara Aguilar.

According to the JACC website their purpose is to assist

Community Colleges to exchange ideas and opinions which is what the workshops accomplish.

“My goal is to be a well-known investigative journalist. I feel like JACC gave me a good view of how many people are in the journalism industry itself,” Blankenship said.

She said the workshop that caught her attention the most was “Reporting the Manson Family Murders” by Jean Stapleton.

During the panel, Stapleton talked about her career as a young journalist and being a woman in the field.

During the years of the Manson trials, Stapleton was a court house reporter for City News Service and was a field reporter for Radio News West and also covered the entire Tex Watson trial.

Stapleton is the chairwoman of the Journalism Department and advisor for Campus News.

“I found it interesting how the speaker had interviewed these people in a calm manner and how she got through it all despite being a woman in those times,” Blankenship said.

Anthropology, Geography, Geology Department moves in, shows off

BY LUIS CASTILLA Staff Writer After its recent relocation from the A2 bungalows to the new G8 building, the Anthropology, Geography, Geology Department showcased its disciplines Thursday with its second annual open house.

Students were taken on a scavenger hunt where they could explore the first floor of the G8 building and engage in interactive activities with professors.

Students were given a map of the first floor of the G8 building that had a list of activities they could participate in.

Professors signed the students’ sheets when they had visited their classroom.

Anthropology, Geography, Geology Department chairperson Julie Bernard said she wanted to showcase their new home in the G8 building.

“We used to be located in the A2 bungalows and we wanted to invite the campus to see everything we have in this new building.” “ We t e a c h e n v i r o n m e n t a l science, meteorology, geography, geographic information system (GIS), oceanography, geology, earth science and the earth in all aspects,” Bernard said.

Human geography professor Tiffany Seeley gave a lecture on GIS, a type of mapping where specific information is overlayed on top of itself.

She also showed the class a map she created that mapped the increase of gentrification in Downtown Los Angeles.

Bernard displayed tools and replica fossils of early humans that students could handle. Bernard also set up a station where students could test whether or not they are supertasters, meaning they had a gene that allowed them to be better tasters.

She said that the ancestors of people who possessed this gene may have tested plants for poisons.

Laboratory technician Nathan Gallagher operated a diamondtipped saw that is used to cut rock to see its interior properties.

Geology and oceanography professor Randy Adsit showed students how to use an x-ray gun to test the metals in rocks.

Geology professor Robert West used a fluorescent light wand to illuminate the different minerals on the surface of rocks.

Emily Haddad, associate geology professor, displayed fossilized plants, nautilus shells and trilobites.

She also had a piece of fossilized feces on display.

Anthropology Club president J.P. said the department wanted to expand its approach in getting more students interested in these fields.

“These majors aren’t popular.

This is a multi-club effort to attract students,” J.P. said.

Domestic violence, HIV focus of workshop

NO BONES ABOUT IT—Anthropology, Geography, Geology Department chairperson Julie Bernard displays fossils for students to hold.

Most of the students helping were volunteers from different clubs within the Anthropology,

Staff Writer

Staff Writer

CN/JULIE SANTIAGO

...AND THE KITCHEN SINK—Lead health educator and HIV counselor Alejandra Aguilar Avelino uses a artficial vagina and penis to explain the transmission process of HIV. A person who was once HIV positive but is now undetectable and remains at a level of undetectable for a minimum of six months will not transmit the HIV virus.

However, it is important that an HIV positive person remains consistent with their treatment for their whole life.

Avelino said that this is because HIV is very smart and can worsen without treatment.

She said that PrEP only protects you against HIV virus and not other sexually transmitted infections or sexually transmitted diseases.

Avelino hopes that the advances in medicine, new information and events like these will bring awareness on dating violence and

its intersections.

Kinesiology professor and co-chair of SAAVE Andrea Owens, said her main reason for helping put together this workshop and other events around domestic violence and sexual assault is to bring awareness to students.

“These topics are very important and affect students a lot. I have had tons of students who have gone through domestic violence, been assaulted and that’s the only reason we do all this,” Owens said.

Students or anyone affected

by HIV/AIDS, sexual, domestic and intimate partner violence are encouraged to visit The East Los Angeles Women’s Center in room F5-315.

Geography, Geology Department.

Anthropology professor Janny Li, who helped organize the event, said

the open house was a promotional event and its goal was to attract students to majors in the department.

Business administration sheds light on disciplines at fall business expo

BY JUAN CALVILLO

BY JULIE SANTIAGO The East Los Angeles College Sexual Assault Awareness Violence Education Team (SAAVE) along with the East Los Angeles Women’s Center teamed up on Thursday to put together Loving with Consent, a workshop for Domestic Violence Awareness Month.

This workshop aimed to inform the public about the importance of communication, consent, how to achieve sexual health in a healthy relationship.

It also included inforamtion on how an HIV positive person can also enjoy a healthy relationship with other people who do not carry the virus.

The topics discussed at the workshop were HIV stigmas and how to begin to reduce them, important and relatively new information regarding HIV and treatment that many students might not be aware of.

“Advances in HIV treatment have made it possible for people living with HIV to have full control of the virus and reach the undetectable level, this and PrEP (Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis, an anti-HIV medication that keeps HIV negative people from becoming infected) make it possible to be with someone who is HIV positive and know they will be protected,” said Lead Health Educator and HIV counselor Alejandra Aguilar Avelino.

Avelino, who has been working in the field for more than 15 years, led the workshop.

During the workshop, Avelino shared personal stories of people she knew who were HIV positive.

Avelino said that in the past, contracting HIV was seen as a sort of death sentence and many people living with the virus didn’t lead normal lives and lived with shame.

In Avelino’s experience, however, many people who contract the virus do so at a young age and often through some type of abuse.

According to the Center for Disease Control, women and men who report a history of domestic violence are more at risk for HIV than those who do not.

CN/LUIS CASTILLA

East Los Angeles College students interested in entrepreneurship, law and accounting can attend the Business Administration Fall Business Expo today through Friday.

The Business Department, with the help of the Strong Workforce Program, has created this event with the goal of giving students and community members that attend the competitive edge in each of the disciplines provided.

The Strong Workforce program is focused on funding innovative activities that allow colleges to use the current market conditions to give students a leg up on educational and work related outcomes.

The program has funded events like last spring’s “Small Business Week” where entrepreneurs were given the chance to learn about starting or creating viable small businesses.

The Fall Business Expo will cover three days, with each day focusing in on a specific discipline within the Business department.

Day one, named Law Day, will be focused on the law discipline at ELAC. The project is called the East Los Angeles Community Legal Aid Works or ELAC LAW. The second day will focus on the Accounting discipline.

Jennifer Alvarado, Associate Professor Accounting in Business Administration, said the event is being called “Tax Career Day.” One of the draws of the day is a chance for students to learn information on becoming an enrolled agent. The third day will be all about the entrepreneurial spirit and creating actualized entrepreneurs at ELAC. Filemón Samson, law professor in Business Administration, said that the Law disciplines goal is to help students at ELAC get into lawrelated careers, transfer to higher education in law or get a degree in the discipline.

Samson said that the first panel would cater to students who had an interest in moving on to higher learning within the law discipline.

“The morning session is

designed to help students prepare academically for transfer. To learn about the best courses and pathways to a legal career,” Samson said.

Universities with law programs, and law related undergraduate programs, will have representatives at the event with information on their respective schools.

Michael Tran from ELAC’s Transfer Center will also be at the event to answer any transfer related questions for students.

Chapman University will be in attendance and speak about their Plus Program. “The Plus Program is a great opportunity. It’s designed to target freshmen and sophomores in college, which are our students,” Samson said.

He said that the program provides students with a stipend to participate with the program at Chapman.

The second panel is meant to help students discover the multitude of careers that can be followed with a legal education.

Industry professionals will be representing the multiple types of careers that law students can go into.

One such professional is the Chief Executive Officer of The South Central Family Center, Richard Veloz as well as an attorney from the Los Angeles Community College District.

Courtney Powers, law professor in Business Administration, wanted students to really get an idea of the numerous jobs that actually can be obtained while having a law degree.

“There’s many different options other than just being a lawyer in a courtroom. I mean that’s one option, but there are so many ways, different ways you can use a legal education, and that’s really what we want to highlight,” Powers said.

Many of the panelists speaking during the career panel will be on hand between 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. and will have tables with information for their and many other organizations.

The representatives will be from multiple career paths at the event and will be looking to start the process of giving job and internship opportunities to students.

“We have the mayor’s office coming, we have a few different legal aid organizations, Professor Samson mentioned the FBI. So

you know they’re coming because they want to outreach to students,” Powers said.

Samson said that the Business Administration Department is now offering a new degree for transfer.

The degree is called the Law Public Policy and Society Associates Arts Degree and it will be a major focus of the event.

This is a new degree that was approved at the end of the spring semester and the fall 2019 semester is the first time it is being offered.

Alvarado said that accounting day will cover the changing technology that is affecting the tax profession, workplace learning experiences, and finally a panel that will include local tax experts.

Alvarado said that this is the first event that they will have for accounting and tax careers. She said that the funding from the Strong Workforce Program has helped create the “Pathway to Enrolled Agent.”

This is a designation that doesn’t need a degree at all. Students are able to start their own businesses, represent clients in front of the IRS, and work on people’s taxes. She said that letting students know about this is really the goal of the day.

“One of the things that we’ve seen is 20 years ago most people filed their tax returns using paper and now most people file them electronically.

“In fact, I can foresee a time when that’s the only way the IRS is going to want to accept those types of tax returns,” said Alvarado.

Despite technology having a huge impact, it’s still the preparer that is the most important part. Alvarado said that giving students who choose to become enrolled agents through the schools program the tools to help clients was a relevant idea.

The final day of the expo will be entirely dedicated to entrepreneurship. Laura E. Ramirez, Professor of Business Administration, said the event’s purpose is to give ELAC students the edge over other business people.

She said that to do that she had invited two industry professionals with dynamic backgrounds to have hands on workshops for students.

CONT. on elaccampusnews.com

www.ELACCampusNews.com

4

Sports

EAST LOS ANGELES COLLEGE CAMPUS NEWS WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 23, 2019

Men’s soccer goes global for talent From the south of France to ELAC

BY JUAN CALVILLO Staff Writer

ZAGUERO—Brazilian freshman fullback, Vitor Freitas, dominates ball with chest after practice at Weingart Stadium.

CN/STEPHANIE GUEVARA

Brazilian seeks new opportunities at ELAC

BY STEPHANIE GUEVARA Staff Writer After giving up his dream of becoming a professional soccer player, Vitor Freitas, discovered new interests and opportunities in the United States which stem from his love of the sport.

Freitas was born in the small rural town of Capivari in Sao Paulo, Brazil. He began playing soccer when he was five years old on a team in his hometown. Since then, he aspired to become a professional.

However, Freitas gave up that dream when he turned 18, because he believed his time had passed.

“I tried to play professionally, but in Brazil it’s difficult because there are a lot of good players and you need to have a good manager.

You also need to have money, but you have to be a really good player” Freitas said.

Although he had given up his dream of becoming a professional soccer player, Freitas continued playing soccer for fun because he still had a passion for it.

He started seeking alternatives to succeed through soccer. Freitas

learned about the student-athlete program that Bruza Sports offered foreign soccer players.

Bruza Sports is a specialized U.S. university and college sports scholarship recruitment agency.

Many athletes from the men’s soccer team have came to East Los Angeles College through Bruza.

Freitas soccer skills were able to capture ELAC men’s soccer head coach Eddie Flores’ attention and bring him to the U.S. immediately.

Freitas arrived just in time for the start of the fall semester.

Flores said Freitas had a lot to prove on the field and he finally did during Friday’s game against Cerritos College. Freitas played his first complete game of the season.

“He stepped up to the plate. At the Cerritos’ game, he broke a barrier.

He had a good game. I have a lot of respect for him,” Flores said.

Freitas said his family was surprised he got the opportunity to become a student-athlete in the U.S. because at his 24 years of age, he is considered someone past his time in Brazil.

Freitas now has the opportunity to play soccer and study business,

which he wanted to major in Brazil.

Freitas said he thinks it’s great how athletes are given the opportunity to study as they play their sport in the U.S. because in Brazil they don’t get that opportunity.

Freitas plays a fullback, but doesn’t mind playing any position if necessary. He said his transition to ELAC was smooth because he lives with another Brazilian soccer player who he can relate to.

During the time Freitas realized he wasn’t going to be a professional soccer player, he began to practice jiu-jitsu. He wanted to try something new that would disconnect him from soccer. However, he eventually went back to soccer.

His transition to Los Angeles wasn’t too difficult because he lived in Miami for a year. However, Freitas said Los Angeles feels more like an American city.

He plans on majoring in Business because he wants to open up his own clothing store, since Freitas like fashion.

“I sold clothes in Brazil and I like business. I like how you can see someone’s personality through clothes,” said Freitas.

East Los Angeles College soccer gained a defender that has a “joie pour le futbol”, a joy for soccer, in French player Hugo Robert.

Echoing a phrase made popular by 1980 Olympic Hockey coach Herb Brooks, Robert explained his perspective in playing soccer. “I will play my game because I know it’s why I’m here,” Robert said.

Robert was born in eastern France, in the town of Grenoble. At five years old, his father found a job in the south of France and moved Robert to the town of Montpellier.

He joined a team in town and started down his path in soccer. He played for numerous years before being noticed by a scout from the biggest team in Montpellier.

He was told that he had the talent and that he should record himself playing. Robert’s recording was sent out to 19 different schools over the entire United States. He finally settled on three whose soccer programs caught his eye. One college was in Seattle, another in New York and finally ELAC. Robert said that his decision was simple. California had a much better environment than either New York or Washington and he had some experience with the area. Robert has three months livng in the U.S. His entire family were all supportive of his decision to leave France and follow his dream to play soccer in the states. Robert said that

if he had stayed, he would have been forced to decide between playing soccer or deciding what career he wanted.

Robert said he had to learn to adapt to the change in style between European and American style soccer. He said that growing up he was always a shorter player, but in Europe being shorter didn’t mean he would not be able to play.

He said that in contrast to the US, where being physically imposing was important, in Europe it was how well players learned technique that would decide their fate. Robert said that the clubs in Europe tend to take players for years and teach them and the more technical style of soccer playing.

European soccer focuses more on ball handling and emphasizes technique rather than physical force, according to Robert. The idea of touching and passing the ball to create plays, is something that he learned over the years. Playing at ELAC, Robert has had to work more on the physical side of the sport than, he previously had to.Huskies head coach Eddie Flores said that it has been really good coaching Robert.

He said that even though Robert came with a knowledge of European soccer, he has acclimated quite well and has become an important part of the team. “You realize he’s an asset to us. He sat down one game for an injury another game for some other matters. So the two games he was out hurt us and I think the guys realized that,” said Flores.

Robert has spent more time in the gym to compete with his fellow Huskies and continue adapting to a new style of play. Robert said that the new atmosphere has given him new challenges to face, making it something he needs to work on as part of the team.

Robert lives with two teammates and has learned more about his new surroundings from them. He said that at times he finds things hard to understand, but that his roommates have the time to help explain things on the field to him.

“It’s really good because they are really nice and they help me when the coach talks to me… because sometimes my coach will talk really fast and it's really hard to understand him. So they help me with that,” Robert said.

Robert said that despite being happy with his change, he misses two things. He said that he misses his family back in France. He also stated that there are times after a practice where he notices that he spent the entire practice without really touching the soccer ball. He said that learning a new style of play makes him at times miss the old style of play he was accustomed to.

Robert said that he is happy to have made the move to ELAC and is committed to his two years at ELAC. His goal is to do his best so that he has an opportunity to being picked up by a division one school.

Robert said he hopes this will lead to him playing in Major League Soccer.

CN/STEPHANIE GUEVARA

Volleyball team defends home court against Cerritos College with a 3-0 win

BY GUSTAVO BUENROSTRO Staff Writer Volleyball dominated on Friday against Cerritos College in a final score of 3-0.

The game was a revenge from the last time East Los College went against Cerritos were they ended in a 3-2 lost.

ELAC close to overturn the score in each round.

ELAC’s next game is a conference match at Los Angeles Harbor College at 6 p.m.

ELAC was on Cerritos the entire time, barely allowing them to gain double digits in the rounds. Each round ended with ELAC having 25 points, while Cerritos had nine, seven and 10 respectively.

“The team performed well. They were patient. It was obvious that they were on a mission. They had good

KILL TO WIN— Elac offensive hitter Jimena gonzalez jumps up for the game winning kill against cerrtios college on friday, where the final was 3-0

Sports commentary

focus,” ELAC head coach Elliot Walker said.

Walker said he hoped that the energy and momentum would carry over to the next game, which was the following day. Volleyball went against Cerro Coso College on Saturday with the final score being 3-1. Volleyball’s overall record this season is 9-12 and 2-6 in conference.

Walker said that if the team keeps up the momentum and wins the rest of their games, they may have a shot at moving forward in the conference to the championships.

However, he said that it isn’t only up to the ELAC, but the as the other teams that are higher ranked in the conference.

They need to lose a few games so ELAC can a shot. ELAC needs to win.

The two players that did well during Friday’s game were offensive hitter Jimena Gonzalez and setter Samatha Villarreal.

Gonzalez had 18 kills and one error during the game, with a season overall of 37 kills and 17 errors.

Villarreal had 40 assists throughout the season and 0 errors.

“The serving was aggressive during the game. The team can rise to the occasion when they want to,” Walker said.

Gonzalez said that this game was a lot better than last time they played against Cerritos. She said that the beginning of the game was a bit slow, but as the game progressed, she felt the energy rise up.

“It felt amazing to get those points. It felt really good to get point after point and I felt energized as (the game) went on,” Gonzalez said.

The next couple of games ELAC volleyball will have are conference games. The ELAC next game will be on Oct. 30 against Mount San Antonio College.

Let Lebron James speak his mind on global issues

BY MICHAEL DOMINGUEZ Staff Writer With the NBA season starting this upcoming week, Lebron James will be entering his 18th season, second with the Los Angeles Lakers.

James has been in the news for other than his basketball talents.

James spoke on Houston Rockets owner Daryal Morey who tweeted his support in the Hong Kong protest, then deleted the tweet quickly after backlash from people.

James is now looked as a supporter of China’s way of rules

and laws ,but he’s not.

James said “I don’t want to get into a word or sentence feud with Daryl Morey. But I believe he wasn’t educated on the situation at hand and he spoke,” in a pregame interview with reporters before a preseason game against the Golden State Warriors.

The Lakers had played a preseason game the week before against the Brooklyn Nets and James nor the Lakers spoke on the issue while in China.

The Rockets were also in China playing their own preseason games. James Harden and Russell

www.ELACCampusNews.com

Westbrook were told not to speak on the issue after their owner had showed his support in those fighting for their rights.

China started taking down its ads about the games and they weren’t shown on television.

The NBA has a huge market in China, according to NBA data. Over 500 million fans watch the NBA and over 21 million fans watched game 6 of the 2019 NBA Finals.

According to the Chinese Basketball Association, there are over 1.4 billion people, and over 300 million people play basketball.

The NBA had also signed a $1.5

billion deal to keep showing games in China.

China is a big market for the NBA outside the United States.

James had made those comments to protect his image with Nike, but also from a business standpoint.

According to statista.com, James is a lifetime Nike athlete who earn $32 million annually.

Nike made over $6 billion in the Chinese Market.

James also makes a cut himself, according to his business partner Maverick Carter, the deal can reach over $1 billion with Nike.

James is not going to lose over a

billion dollars over a tweet. He has his own brand to watch over and grow bigger than it already is.

The same goes for other mega stars such as Harden who has a $200 million deal with Adidas and has his shares. In an article in Bloomberg it states that Harden has the third best selling jersey in China behind Lebron James and Steph Curry.

Opposed to being the 8th best selling jersey in the U.S. So for Lebron to be called out for supposedly agreeing with China, he’s not. He has a family to feed and bills to pay. He’s going to protect himself. The media needs to stop

attacking Lebron and just enjoy him as a player.

Not everything he says will be agreed on and it will be debated all over television stations. Things were taken in out of proportion.

He is Lebron James a star with a voice and an influence on the youth, but he can only do so much.

He uses his freedom of speech for political reasons and his platform lets him use it.

Therefore, let Lebron speak his mind and use his freedom of speech like any of us would without getting a bad reputiton.

Arts

EAST LOS ANGELES COLLEGE CAMPUS NEWS WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 22, 2019

5

Dark theme, ominous tone is highlight of ‘Dracula’

BY LUIS CASTILLA Staff Writer The dark looming influence of Castle Dracula has been summoned during East Los Angeles College Theater Arts Department’s excellent adaptation of “Bram Stoker ’s Dracula.”

The PS black box has been transformed into a haunted house complete with cobwebs and an eerie mirror to welcome visitors.

Director of the play, Kelley Hogan, said that half of the cast were new actors who had never been in an ELAC play.

Some of the new actors include Lorily Herrera who plays the lead female character Mina Westerman, Hakop Mkhsian who plays Orderly Drinkwater and Gigi Yue Yat Gi who plays an orderly and a boy child.

Herrera’s strengths are brought out when she is in conversation with Lucy, Mina’s sister played by Constance Villalvazo. The two are the driving force and the motivation for the story to progress.

The scenes between Dracula, played by Robert Anaya, and Jonathan Harker, played by Jimmy Solis, are the most gripping.

Anaya and Soils have both been in five plays and have amazing chemistry. Dracula is constantly trying to seduce Harker, creating some of the most tense and sexy scenes of the whole production.

Anaya said he had enjoyed working with many new actors.

“You get to see where you started,” Anaya said. “It makes you a bit happy to see how you’ve grown as an actor and as a person.”

Anaya went through intense preparation for the role of Dracula.

He said he lost a lot of weight through a water diet and prohibited himself from eating food and having sex.

“Only drinking water and not indulging in food or sex helped me understand his thirst for blood, his need for it,” Anaya said. “He’s an enigma in these people’s lives.”

Anaya’s preparation is clear in his portrayal of Dracula as a suppressed and frustrated man.

Va n H e l s i n g , p l a y e d b y Joseph Darby, is one of the most well-designed characters. The combination of Darby’s makeup, wardrobe, Dutch accent and slight limp create an old man that makes the audience forget there is an actor under it all.

There are several scenes that foreshadow future events in the play. Renfield, played by Farshid Keshmirian, is thought to be delusional, but only because he is surrounded by people who are ignorant to the arrival of Dracula.

The play features convincing disappearing effects and makes use of projections to simulate animals, insects and blood.

The props used in the play are very well-made and all appear authentic

CN/LUIS CASTILLA

SUCKING FACE—Jonathan Harker, played by Jimmy Solis,

and Mina Westerman, played by Lorily Herrera, kiss during the final scene of the play after defeating Dracula.

to the year 1895, when the play is set. Props master Edgar Bustillo said it took him about seven weeks to complete Van Helsing’s kit, which includes a dagger, wooden stakes, garlic and more.

Bustillo also crafted a transfusion machine that actually pumps blood as well as a retractable syringe.

The multi-functional set, designed

by Eleanor Mentecino, transports the audience to the gothic victorian era.

The set features projected portraits of Vlad the Impaler, the direct inspiration for Dracula, and Queen Elizabeth I, who some believed to be a vampire, among others.

The lighting brings out the

features of the set. The barely noticeable gate on the left side of the set becomes the terrifying gate to Castle Dracula under ominous lighting.

This version of the play was adapted by poet Liz Lockhead.

Hogan said this more modern version of the script does not portray female characters as just damsels in distress.

Hogan said she placed easter eggs in the play for fans of the original novel.

“I want to get people in the Halloween mood,” Hogan said.

“Bram Stoker’s Dracula” will run in the P2 black box theater until Oct. 27 with evening showtimes at 8

CN/LUIS CASTILLA

SEDUCING HARKER—Dracula, played by Robert Anaya,

seduces Jonathan Harker, played by Jimmy Solis, so that he will stay in the castle

p.m. tomorrow, Friday and Saturday and matinees at 2 p.m. on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Tickets are

available for $12 at the door and $10 general, with $8 discounted tickets for ASU members.

‘Mario Kart Tour’ tons of fun with heavy emphasis on price

BY KELLY VASQUEZ Staff Writer Nintendo has released an addicting app based on one of their most popular games: “Mario Kart” called “Mario Kart Tour.” As much fun as it is, there are some downsides.

“Mario Kart” has been around for decades and is a game that every one of all ages can enjoy. Nintendo has now made it more accessible and easy to play. With just a tap on a smartphone, gamers can now race with their favorite characters among

other gamers around the world.

Upon creating a Nintendo account, the user learns how to play on their smartphone. Swipe left or right on the screen to steer and drift.

Swipe up and down to throw items ahead of the driver or behind them.

Users can touch the screen to get a boost off the starting line, but otherwise, the accelerator is pressed down automatically. It’s quite friendly to new players.

The game features many wellknown racers such as Mario, Peach, Bowser, Yoshi and more. There are

many gliders and karts that have been highlighted in past games.

The courses also play heavily on nostalgia and include many familiar races, such as Rainbow Road or Bowser’s Castle.

An upcoming update to the game will allow players to join lobbies with friends, which is sure to make the game even more entertaining.

“Mario Kart Tour” goes by tours that change every two weeks. In every tour, there are races where users can win trophies.

Every week there are rankings on cups where people can compete

against friends to see who has the best score in the cup.

Each time users finish a course, they earn stars which help them earn gifts throughout the tour. The tour gifts range from characters, karts, or currency in the game, rubies.

The currency is where the game falls short. Rubies are heavily important in the game.

In past Mario Kart games, the user would play the game and unlock characters, gliders, and karts along the way. Instead, “Mario Kart Tour” requires you to spend rubies to shoot off pipes that give you the

characters, gliders, and karts.

The rubies aren’t as easy to come by in the game, which pressures the user to spend their real-life money in order to acquire more. The game also offers a subscription called the Gold Pass which gives the user more gifts throughout the tour. This costs $5.99 a month and is not worth the money.

It’s a shame that “Mario Kart Tour” heavily emphasizes the in-game currency. The players seem to do poorly if they don’t have the right kart or character for the cups.

The prices for packs that

include characters or the rubies are ridiculously priced. Prices go up to $69.99 for rubies. It’s disappointing to see a “Mario Kart” game so profit-driven.

Although “Mario Kart Tour” is incredibly fun, it isn’t the same.

If Nintendo were to take away the emphasis on the in-game currency, perhaps it would be more fun.

The game has much room for improvement. Hopefully, the developers listen to what gamers have to say.

Horror Retrospective:

John Carpenter’s ‘The Thing’ set standard for practical effects

BY LUIS CASTILLA Staff Writer

COURTESY OF IMDB

INTERVIEW WITH A KILLER—FBI agent Holden Ford, played by Johnathan Groth, interviews Ed Kempher, played by Cameron Britton, to gain insight into the mind of a serial killer. Kempher killed 10 people including his paternal grandparents.He was inteviews several times in the series and in real life because og his high intellect and ability to articulate his thought process.

‘Mindhunter’ delves into minds of killers

BY IVAN CAZERES Staff Writer

“Mind Hunter” is an engrossing drama following some of the first professionals to seriously study the psychology of serial killers through the ‘70sand ‘80s.

Its among Netflix’s best produced series with stellar performances from actors, thought provoking subjects and a timeless soundtrack.

The monsters depicted in this series like Ed Kempher, aka the coed killer, and David Berkowitz, more commonly known as Son of Sam, are among the most frightening beings in entertainment because they aren’t figments of our imagination.

The series is based on a book

by FBI agent John Douglas titled “Mindhunter: Inside the FBI’s Elite Serial Crime Unit.” Johnathan Groth’s portrayal of FBI agent Holden Ford is loosely based on Douglas.

Ford comes off as timid, but it’s his borderline obsession with what makes killers tick that drives the narrative, and it’s fascinating to observe traits shared between Ford and the killers he studys.

Loosely basing a character on its subjects rather than portraying a biographical depiction of them allowed writers to make creative decisions for the sake of storytelling without losing any believability.

Ford is joined by FBI agent Bill Tench and a university professor, Wendy Carr, to complete a trio of well developed characters with individual stories that complement the overarching narrative.

Tench who’s based on FBI profiler Robert Ressler is played by Holt MacCallany.

Tench is like Ford’s rudder keeping him in line when his obsession veers him off mission.

Carr is based on Ann Wolbert Burgess,PhD, and is played by Anna Torv. Carr is like the team’s emergency break, heading caution and providing a much needed

expert voice.

“Mind Hunter” is a slow burn, taking its time to establish the team as individuals, their motives for taking on such research and their opinions on the subjects they study.

As amazing as the 10 episodes in season one are, its season 2 when the show hits its stride.

Tench is a family man, and while he’s invested in his work, he’s mostly motivated by advancing his career and providing for his family.

Audiences are thrown a curve ball in season two by making someone very close to Tench, a killer in a particularly disturbing case. It’s a creative liberty that pays off with viseratial tension and stress emitting from the character.

Part of the genius of “Mind Hunter” is how it delicately yet unapologetically tackles the topics of mental illness, racism, misogyny homosexuality, sexual repression and hate.

The series creates very believable scenes that provide glimpses of how a mental disorder as common

as depression can be amplified by social influences and failures.

How a misogynist in a dead end job could cross the line from being a hateful bigot to inhuman rapist and murderer, and how a repressed homosexual black man can develop homophobia and hate toward young men of his own ethnicity.

There is hardly any gore in the series, but the impact these grotesque crimes have on the characters and the amount of detail included in the dialogue is enough to send shivers down the spines of viewers.

Cameron Britton’s portrayal of Kempher, the coed killer, is particularly impactful.

Not only does Britton’s physique translate the presence of an almost 7-foot-tall murderer with a 10-person-kill count must command, but he also does a frightening job of portraying Kempher’s disturbingly methodical thought pattern.

Fans of true crime dramas and character studies like “Taxi Driver” and the recently released “Joker” will really enjoy this series.

He gives viewers just enough information to suspect everyone.

The amorphous mass of flesh in Because the monster has no John Carpenter's 1982 monster- true form, every time it appears, mystery film “The Thing” was a it is unique. This means that the miracle of practical effects and special effects artists had to craft set the standard for the industry. a different monster every time it “The Thing” features an was on screen, monsters that were impressive array of practical capable of writhing, contorting effects, physical effects that do and twisting in unnatural ways. not require computer-generated No film had done practical imagery. effects with such complexity until The ancient extraterrestrial “The Thing.” The monster in “The groundbreaking Thing” has no true effects in the film form.

Bottin worked were the result It is a shapeless on the different of special effects amalgamation of artist Rob Bottin’s monsters so different organisms around-the-clock that takes the heavily, he had to work. form of those it Bottin worked assimilates with be hospitalized due on the different the sole purpose of to exhaustion. monsters so surviving. heavily, he had The monster to be hospitalized appears early in the due to exhaustion. film in the form of a dog and “The Thing” was a flop at the is able to infiltrate the research time of its release, just weeks facility. apart from Steven Spielberg’s As soon as the monster is “E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial.” These provided food, in the form of other days, however, Carpenter’s film is dogs, it makes its presence known. largely recognized as the pinnacle The dog’s face rips apart, revealing of practical effects and a classic the grotesque, misshapen creature among the horror genre. hidden within.

Modern films rarely use practical It is a spectacle of shock and effects to the extent that “The disgust every time the monster Thing” did. CGI has advanced to appears. the point that it is indistinguishable The theme of the film is from physical objects. paranoia. The research team must It is undeniable, however, that hunt the creature knowing that any the exceptional effects in “The one of them could be it. Carpenter, Thing” are the best example of however, gives subtle hints to the what practical effects are capable identity of the monster for eagle- of. eyed viewers.

“The Thing” is a gem of Carpenter uses close-up camera filmmaking, showcasing the angles and speech patterns to keep incredible effort the special effects viewers guessing on who has team put into their crafts. been assimilated by the creature. www.ELACCampusNews.com

6

OTHER

EAST LOS ANGELES COLLEGE CAMPUS NEWS WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 23, 2019

Women empowering women in panel

BY ALEJANDRO AMBRIZ Staff Writer

CN/IVAN CAZARES

people knew about, the hundreds of rejections and few affirmations they got for roles or projects, Klein said the pace of television was impactful.

“By the time I got staffed, I had written seven pilots and half a dozen features...When you get that opportunity, suddenly you’re

sprinting and working at a TV pace...no one want to teach how to walk. You should already know how to run,” Klein said.

Putting in the time to hone your craft and developing a small group of peers you respect and whose opinion you can really listen to are key factors for Klein. “ T h i s w a y, y o u c a n b e undeniable in terms of what you are presenting,” she said.

McNulty replied by saying that there is a special place in hell for women who don’t help other women. “When you work with women who don’t support other women, it’s crushing...all of us here are super supportive and have people that we mentor, and we need to see more of that.”

Klein agreed and said that the times have changed. “In a time where there was once few women in rooms, it is now more diverse...

But when you’re in a room where

Continued from page 1 The media swelling didn’t stop there as Gabriel Iglesias was on the main stage Friday night.

Iglesias has a new comedy sitcom on Netflix called “Mr. Iglesias.”

The show follows Iglesias and a group of teachers as they teach students about life, while learning about life from their students at the same time.

The convention was not just main stage stars. Multiple panels with a variety of topics ruled the meeting room areas.

The panels covered everything from fashion, diversity in pop

culture, mental health and fun creative topics like cosplay.

Lead by industry leaders and influencers, each panel had information and networking options, making the LA Comic Con more than just a fan event, to the point that it seems like a spectacular hodgepodge of fun, work and information.

The 2018 LA Comic Con had an attendance of over 100,000 fans, and the number of attendees has risen in 2019 to 123,400.

DeMoulin is already looking forward to next year’s event.

“We are looking to expand the amount of space we use within the

Convention Center, as we were essentially sold out of booth and exhibit and interaction space this year! Our dates next year are a little earlier, Sept. 25-27, 2020,” DeMoulin said.

With the dates set for next years LA Comic Con, the countdown has begun for another weekend of excitement. DeMoulin said that the message to the fans remained clear for next year. “Just know that everything we do is “By fans, for fans.” So whatever they love, they’ll find it at L.A. Comic Con,” DeMoulin said.

Panel helps entrepeneurs with tips for success

BY JUAN CALVILLO Staff Writer

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Wonder Women In Entertainment was a panel on the experiences of female lawyers, executives and talent managers at The Los Angeles Comic Con on Oct. 12.

The panel brought a different perspective about women’s progression in the entertainment industry.

Moderator Katie Kusiciel was joined by Jenny Klein, writer and co-producer for Marvel’s “Jessica Jones,” Courtney McNulty, Counsel at Sony Entertainment P i c t u r e s , N a t a l i e Vi s c u s o , Executive Director of Television at Legendary Entertainment Courtney Worth and other female creative staff.

They shared their experiences on women helping women in the industry, using their platform for the better, being questioned about their knowledge because they’re women and other topics.

Kusiciel started by asking the panel if they had any experiences with being called a fake fan or had their knowledge questioned.

McNulty talked about her podcast ‘Nerd Out’ and how there’s always going to be comments doubting her knowledge about the things they discuss.

“You don’t have to defend your every move…it doesn’t affect you,” McNulty said.

Tiffany Smith, actress, host and web personality commented on how there is this mentality in geek culture that people are afraid to ask because they will be made fun of for not knowing something.

One of the first panels she did at Comic Con was a panel called I Don’t Know Sh!t About Comics, which invited people to come and ask questions about anything.

“I have people who would ask, ‘I don’t know what a graphic novel is’ or ‘What are weekly comics,’ and there’s people at conventions that would be like, ‘Oh I can’t believe you didn’t know’...When we, as geeks, nerds, whatever, should be the most welcoming,” Smith said. “(There is a) lid for every pot...a niche for everything. Just look at Comic Con,” Courtney Worth, Media Haven, said.

McNulty recalled a positive experience in which she recently moved to LA and began working under an attorney.

“He was this really powerful male attorney who thought he was so cool because he knew everything,” McNulty said.

She said how he took her under his wing and had her go to all the meetings with him, as well as go over agreements and work on the same shows he did. “He was so supportive and so great that when I went on to my next job, I had a clue of what I was talking about.”

When Kusiciel asked if there was anything the panelists wished

COMIC CON: Panels branch beyond comics

most of the people are women, everyone just becomes people, or not just the minority.”

Smith recalled her audition for Meghan Markle in the new movie “Harry and Meghan: Making Royal” and how she asked for lunch with the actress who had played Meghan in the first movie.

“I reached out to a friend who knew the actress who played Meghan in the first one, and I was like, ‘do you think she’ll have lunch with me?,’” Smith said.

They became friends afterwards and text each other when they get roles or exciting news.

“It’s such a lovely awesome feeling being excited and champion a friend when they booked something…and when you have those harder times, you think ‘If it can happen to her it can also happen for me,’” Smith said.

The Los Angeles Comic Convention gave business professionals time to share tactics that make the process of creating successful businesses and brands easier.

Andres Salazar, writer of graphic novels including “Pariah, Missouri” and “The Adventure Bear Squad,” and Genese Davis, author of the novel “The Holder’s Dominion,” talked about brands as individual writers.

Tony Kim, chief executive officer and founder of Hero Within clothing, talked about business and branding in a more traditional sense.

The group explained some of the things it takes to create and run small businesses and retain positive brand recognition during their panel on Oct. 15.

The professionals all said that there were turning points in their lives when they had to make a difficult choice to change their careers.

Davis talked about the fact that she had always felt that there was something calling out to her in a creative aspect.

Kim said that, to him, it was more of noticing that the niche

for geek fashion apparel was not claimed and how it was a space he could take advantage of.

Salazar talked about how making the decision to go all in on a different career can be scary, especially when it means losing the revenue of money for a family.

The consensus was that no matter what situation these entrepreneurs were in, changing career paths was daunting.

Frank J. Aguirre, East Los Angeles College professor in the Business Administration Department, said that in the LA area, there were resources that could be tapped to help entrepreneurs.

“There are many, many resources that are free and designed to help you launch your business,” said Aguirre.

Some of these include: the US Small Business Administration, Los Angeles County Department of Consumer and Business Affairs and the City of Los Angeles Business Source Center System.

He also said that there

were community non-profit organizations that specialize in helping small businesses and that colleges and universities also had programs to help entrepreneurs.

Aguirre said what was invaluable was defining a business early on.

He said that a focused business model and learning about patents or trademarks was always a good idea.

“If you don’t register it, then you don’t own it and anyone can simply copy it or take it away from you,” said Aguirre.

Deciding on a specific service or product was something the entire panel of professionals agreed on.

Davis said when it came to creating something, “You have to be all in.”

Each of the panelists said it came down to really honing in on their craft or their finished products and that finding their core audience was important.

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